Right from the initial stages, the Company has always given utmost attention to environmental care and protection. Extensive anti-pollution measures have been incorporated in the design of the units. BPCL-KR is an ISO 14001 company, which confirms that KR’s Environment Management Systems conform to international standards. Kochi Refinery is the first organisation in Kerala to receive the ISO 14001 certification.

The design of the effluent water treatment system is such that the water discharged from the treatment unit is well within the quality levels prescribed by the State Pollution Control Board and the national standards. In fact, Kochi Refinery is the first industrial unit in Kerala permitted by the State Pollution Control Board, to discharge treated water into inland rivers.

BPCL-KR has installed Sulphur Recovery units to minimise the SO2 emissions from the Refinery. KR has also installed three fully automatic, on-line and computerised Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations for regular monitoring of ambient air quality. To reduce particulate matter emission from the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit, an electrostatic precipitator was commissioned in 1985. KR is the first Refinery in India to install this facility.

KR produces auto fuels (MS & HSD) conforming to Bharat Stage-II norms from January 2005, well ahead of the implementation of new fuel quality norms in the region. The Diesel Hydro-Desulphurisation unit (DHDS) enables to reduce the Sulphur content in diesel to 0.05 wt. %, thereby minimising the sulphur emissions from vehicle exhausts. Presently a refinery modernisation project is underway to make auto-fuels conforming to Euro-III specifications.

An ecological park has been developed within the company premises in 2004-05 by planting 4000 saplings of different species of trees, flowering plants, herbal trees, etc. Now the ecological park and the treated effluent waterbed attract different birds including seasonal migratory birds.

Implementation of rain water harvesting schemes inside the refinery is another project for environmental protection. Water collected from this facility is routed to cooling towers as make up water.

In recognition of the measures taken up by KR in the field of pollution control & environmental management, the various awards have been conferred on Kochi Refinery.